Germany is only twelfth in the FIFA world rankings, which threatens to end up in pot 2 in the World Cup draw – and it could get even worse.
In the current version of the FIFA world rankings for men’s football, the German team slipped to twelfth place after the two World Cup qualifying games against Slovakia and Northern Ireland. Only the top nine qualified teams in the world rankings will be in draw for the 2026 World Cup on December 5th in Washington DC together with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada in draw pot 1.
If the German team were in draw pot 2, opponents like Argentina, Spain, England, Brazil or France are already possible in the group phase. In the rankings, Spain took first place again from Argentina, and France also overtook the current world champions. Draw pot 3 would only be threatened if 21 qualified teams are better placed than the German team, the host countries are not counted.
| Pl. | team | Points |
|---|---|---|
1 | Spain | 1875.37 |
2 | France | 1870.92 |
3 | Argentina | 1870.32 |
4 | England | 1820.44 |
5 | Portugal | 1779.55 |
6 | Brazil | 1761.60 |
7 | Netherlands | 1754.17 |
8 | Belgium | 1739.54 |
9 | Croatia | 1714.20 |
10 | Italy | 1710.06 |
11 | Morocco | 1706.27 |
| 12 | Germany | 1704.27 |
13 | Colombia | 1692.10 |
14 | Mexico | 1688.38 |
16 | Uruguay | 1673.65 |
Before the qualifying games against Luxembourg, the question arises as to how the German team can leave its competitors behind again. Qualifying games are more important than friendly games when it comes to scoring points. This is an advantage over Morocco, which has fewer competitive games to play. Germany needs ninth place for draw pot 1. The upcoming games that are relevant for this are:
- Morocco – Bahrain (October 9th, friendly match)
- Czech Republic – Croatia (9.10., World Cup qualification)
- Germany – Luxembourg (10/10, World Cup qualification)
- Estonia – Italy (October 11th, World Cup qualification)
Depending on the outcome of these games, the teams would have the following points total:
| Pl. | country | S | U | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | CRO | 1721.84 | 1709.34 | 1696.84 |
10 | ITA | 1712.47 | 1699.97 | 1687.47 |
11 | MAR | 1707.84 | 1702.84 | 1697.84 |
12 | GER | 1707.90 | 1695.40 | 1682.90 |
If the four teams win their games, Germany would be in eleventh place. If there is a mistake against Luxembourg, the deficit could increase significantly.
Detour playoffs? Without direct qualification, it goes into draw pot 4
After the first two games, it is fundamentally questionable for the German team whether they will finish their qualifying group as group winners. If she doesn’t do that and only finishes second in the group, a detour via the playoffs would be necessary. She could catch up on her qualifications there if necessary.
However, draw pot 4 would then be the result for the German team – the placement in the world rankings no longer plays a role. Because the playoff games will only take place on March 26th (semi-finals) and March 31st, 2026 (final), well after the World Cup draw. In this case, the friendly match against Ivory Coast scheduled for March 30 would have to be canceled or postponed.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
10.10 | Luxembourg (H) |
10/13 | Northern Ireland (A) |
14.11. | Luxembourg (A) |
November 17th | Slovakia (H) |
30.03. | Ivory Coast (H) |
31.05. | Finland (H) |
*other games not yet determined
Draw in Washington
The draw for the twelve preliminary round groups will take place on December 5, 2025 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts drawn in Washington DC. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump announced the date and location during a joint appearance at the White House.
US President Donald Trump (l.) with FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Trump became chairman of the Kennedy Center in his second term as US president. At the time, he criticized the fact that LGBTQ content was part of the program and promised to determine in the future what will and will not be performed at the Kennedy Center. The draw for the World Cup is one of the permitted contents in the originally non-partisan cultural institution.